Safety shutoff for oil treaters



g- 29, 1950 E. R. WILLIAMS 2,520,820

SAFETY SHUTOFF FOR OIL TREATERS Filed May 16, 1945 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 N V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

g- 29, 1950 E. R. WILLIAMS 2,520,820

' SAFETY SHUTOFF FOR OIL TREATERS Filed May 16, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E/merfi. lM/bams IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 29, 19 50 UNI/TEE s PATENT omen:

The invention relates to safety cut-offs for oil treaters, and has for its object to provide means whereby the supply of oil emulsion to the treater, as well as the supply of fuel to the burner; will be cut-01f in case of a fracture or rupture of the Wall of the combustion chamber or the burning out of a tube, thereby preventing the ignition of .hthenemulsion. and the consequent danger of an extensive fire where the flaming emulsion flows from the treater.

A further object is to provide an auxiliary float controlled means in connection with the treater and overflow system whereby thesupply ojf emulsion will be shut off if the liquid level reaches a dangerous low position in the treater.

A further object is to provide, in connection with the emulsion intake line, a weight controlled diverting valve, which, under normal operating conditions, will allow the flow of emulsion to the treater, and which diverting valve will divert the flow of emulsion from the treater into an emergency by-pass line if there is a flooding of the treater and combustion chamber, incident to a rupture thereof.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a conventional form of oil treater, showing the' safety device applied thereto.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the treater, storage tank and pipe line, and showing the diverting valve and fuel supply valve closed.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the treater. It is to be understood that the safety device may be applied to an oil treater or heater and applicant does not limit himself to either. For purposes of description the device will be referred to as a treater.

The treater l i of conventional type and has therein a fire boX 2 having a combustion chamber 3 and tubes 4 through which the products of combustion pass to the stack 5. Gas is usually used as the fuel, and this is connected to the combustion chamber 3 through a gas supply pipe 5 and burner I. The supply pipe 6 may lead to any suitable source of gas supply. Interposed in the supply pipe 6 is a conventional form of reciprocating cut-01f valve 8, operated by hinged- 3'Claims. (o1. 122 504) tubes 4.

1y mounted weight lever 9 having a fluid receiving receptacle I0 on one end and counterbalancing weights H on the other end. The receptacle I0 has a loose sliding mounting at. 12 on a downwardly extending pipe l3; which catches the overflow of emulsion from the combustion chamber 3 in case the fire box 2 is fractured, or the This is usually caused by the burning out of the tubes, or the wall of the fire box, and

at which time'the oil from the main chamber of the treater flows into the bottom of the comthe fire box 3 to an elevation where it will be ignited by the gas burner. When sufiicientemulsion flows into the receptacle l0 filling the same its weight is increased to a point where it overbalances the weights I I and the valve 8 is closed, thereby cutting off the supply of fuel to the burner and preventing a-fire hazard.

A horizontal pipe I5 is connected to the downwardly extending pipe l3 and is adapted to also supply liquid to the fiuid receptacle 16 after the burner is cut off by the filling of receptacle Hi. Receptacle l6 controls the diverting valve ll through the medium of a Weight actuated lever I8. Oil emulsion is supplied to the treater through the supply pipe [9, and the emulsion normally passes through the diverting valve l1, and pipe 20 to the bottom of the treater. Pipe I5 is provided with a downwardly extending discharge pipe 2| which extends loosely into the upper end of the receptacle l6, hence it will be seen that the diverting valve ll, as well as the fuel supply valve 8 will be substantially simultaneously closed upon a flooding of the combustion chamber. The closed position is shown in Figure 2, and both positions are shown in full and dotted lines in'Figure 1.

Under normal operation the treated oil passes from the upper end of the treater l through a tank line 22 to a storage tank 23, and this line 22 is provided with a back check valve 24, the purpose of which will presently appear. Connected to the tank line 22 on the storage tank side of the check valve 24 is an emergency by-pass pipe 25, and the pipe 25 connects to the diverting valve ll. When the diverting valve I! is closed, incident to a rupture in the fire box or tubes 4, the supply of oil emulsion is cut off from the treater and is diverted through the by-pass pipe 25 to the tank line 22 and is discharged into the storage tank. It will be noted that the oil can not pass to the treater as it will be blocked by the check valve 24.

As an additional safety device the treater is provided with a float controlled valve 213 above the tubing 28, and disposed in the chamber of a casing 22', and this is designed to cause the cut off of the fuel to the burner and to close the diverting valve if the liquid level should fall to a dangerous elevation in the treater. When this happens oil will pass downwardly through the pipe 2i} into the pipe l5 and will flow to both receptacles IQ and lli, hence it will be seen that the possibility of flooding and the spreading of fire is obviated, and the device overcomes one of the difiiculties and dangers now experienced with oil treaters and heaters. j I I I I I The weighted levers 9 and I8 which carry the receptacles l0 and I6 are partially c'ounterbabthe diverting valve, said overflow pipe from the fire box discharging into a receptacle on the fuel supply valve lever, a receptacle carried by the diverting valve rock lever and a pipe connecting the fire box discharge pipe and extending into the receptacle carried by the diverting valve rock lever. V

2. A device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the fuel supply control valve is substantially counterbalanced, "said diverting valve lever also being substantially counterbalanced whereby both -valves will be maintained open under normal 1 operations and will be closed and shifted upon anced so that a small amount of; liquid accurnu I lated in the receptacles l0 and l6 will rock the levers and close the valves}! and l1. 7 r The invention having been set forth what is i claimed as new and useful is: a

1. The combinationwith an oilutreater having a fire. box therein, a fuel burner within vsaid fire .box, a fu l s pply pine leadin to. said fue burner, an emulsion supply pipe leadingto and discharg I -ing into. the lower end or the tr ate a. di charge pipe. lead n fromtheu per e d. f said tr ater, a by-pass pipevecnnecting h dischar p pe-a supply pipe 01th; treater, of a diverting valve in said s ply p pe b tween he, iz-pa p pe nd e r a er a cut-.nfi va ve in. he. u

supp p pe l ad g to the urn r, a e o d s har e pipe lead ng rom thev fire ox a c lever controlling the operation ofthey fuel supply '7 Valve, a ock ev rcqntre l ne t e s it in I 155538; Mantsiqn flooding within the fire box.

3. A device as set forth in claim 1 including a float controlled liquid level valve carried by the treater above the fire box, and a discharge pipe in connection with said float controlled valve, said discharge pipe discharging into the overfl w pipe c nnect n t e fire Q discha e P and. discharg n nto the ue val e r receptacleanq in o. the divert ng l ev ec tacle f operatin a d Va ves) 7 3-. LL AMS.-

e EF RENC S CIT D The following references are of record in the 1 me ofthis patent:

U TED TAT PATE T Numb r] v I Da e $5,817 I qoddu -l Dec. 22, 1891 1,505,813 I S l o cu' m Aug. 19, 1924 

